Sanitary vent.



W. s. TUTTLE.

SANITARY VENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1908.

Patented 0013.26, 1909.`

WILLARD S. TUTTLE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA SANITARY VENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

Application filed .Tune 8, 1908. Serial No. 437,371.

vented new and useful Improvements in.

Sanitary Vents, of which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and eXact descrlption.

ments in sanitary-vents adapted to be placed in the side walls, ceilingsor ioors of hospltals and other buildings in connection with suitableventilation flues where it is desirable germs and dust in theVentilating frame or flue and to enable all parts of such frame and flueto be easily accessible for cleansing and sterilization as well as forfree ventila' tion.

I am aware that `grille plates of more or less ornamental design` havebeen used for purposes of ventilation but as usually constructed thesegrille plates not only obstruct the circulation of air and properventilation of the rooms but afford comparatively large areas for thelodgment of infectious germs, dust and other foreign matter and renderthe thorough cleansing and sterilization of the grilles and adjacentportions of the ventilating flue to which such grilles are attachedpractically impossible. In fact, the unsanitary conditions accompanyingthe use of the usual grille plates have necessitated in many instancestheir abandonment and in other instances the grille portion has beenentirely cut away to establish a freer circulation of air and to avoidas far as practicable the excessive collection of the dust and germs.

It is desirable, however, to provide some sort,

of grating across the vent to prevent the entrance of papers and otherforeign matter therethrough and one of the objects of my presentinvention is to provide a sanitary vent or ventilator in which the partsare practically smooth and straight and in which round smooth grate barsare arranged in a:

vertical position so as to avoid las far as practicable horizontalledges orprojections to preventl the lodgment of disease germs, dust andother deleterious matter.

Another object of the round vertical bars across the opening in theplate is to afford a freer circulation of air therethrough and to Thisinvention relates to certain improve-1 avoid as far-asvpractical flatfaces which obstruct more or less free ventilation of the room. Y

A further object is to render the vertical grate bars movable orremovable for the purpose of not only increasing the free circulation ofair through the Ventilating flue but also permitting access to all partsof the Ventilating plate and bars for cleansing and sterilization and atthe same time permitting access to the interior of the flue formaintaining the same in a thoroughly sanitary condition. p

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawingsuFigures 1 and 2 are lfront and rear views respectivelyof modified forms of my invention showing in Fig. 1 the grating ashinged at one side to form a swinging gate adapted to'be swung open tothe position shown by dotted lines, leaving `.a clear opening throughthe frame while in Fig. 2, I have shown a removable grating. Figs. 3 andl are enlarged sectional views taken respectively on lines 3 3 and 4 4,Fig. l, and Fig. 5, is an enlarged sectional `view taken on line 5-5,Fig. 2, showing the grate by dotted lines in one position which itismade to assume in removing it from the frame. Fig. 6 is a horizontalsectional view taken on line 66, Fig. 2.

The device shown in Figs.kv l, 3 and 4L comprises a substantiallyrectangular frame 1- having a smooth front face and a rearwardlyprojecting lange -2- surrounding the opening -8- and adapted to fitwithin a ventilating flue or opening in the wall, said frame being alsoprovided with a series of, in this instance, four rearwardly projectinglugs-*larranged in pairs on the upper and lower bars of the frame ljustoutside of the marginal flange -2-,

the lugs of each pair being arranged in verticalk alinement with theapertures -5-. These .apertures '-5- are formed in the frame at thejunction of the rearwardly projecting ange -2- with the lfront flatportion of the frame and serve to receive the upper and lowerends of avertical or upright hinge bar -6-. This bar .-6- forms a part of aswinging grate or of the corresponding abutments or lugs -4- which areinv vertical alinement there- Awith to hold the grate or gate againstYundue vertical movement or complete displacement from the frame, thecentral portion of the bar 7 being sprung from a straight line wheninserting its ends into the apertures 5. In placing the bar -6- inposition, its ends are sprung or temporarily bent from a straight linesuflicient to permit them to be inserted in their correspondingapertures .5- whereupon said ends are returned to a straight line forretaining the grate in place and forming a hinge connection therefor.'Ihe length of this bar -7- is substantially equal to or slightlygreater than the vertical distance between the apertures -5- fromoutside to outside so as to permit said bar -7- to be easily sprung intoand out of their corresponding apertures -5- thereby rendering the openside of the gate self-locking and at the same time permitting it to bereadily unlocked by pressure upon the center of the gate so as to beswung to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. l, the apertures -5-forming pivotal bearings upon which the gate may swing. The verticalheight of the intermediate bars 8* is about the same as -or slightlyless than that of the opening 3 in the frame 1- so as to permit saidbars to easily swing between the lower and upper `bars of the frame. Thecross bar -9- connects the bars -6-, -7- and -8- and holds them a fixeddistance apart being located substantially midway between their ends andis provided with apertures through which the bars -6- and V-7- and -8-are passed and in which they are secured by fusing or other means ofsecurement without leaving any extra projections or ledges thereon. Thevertical bars divide the opening -3- into uniform spaces and in as muchas all of thesebars -6-, -7-, -8- and 9- are of rounding cross section,it is evident that they Vproduce little resistance to the free cir-Vculation of air through the opening -3- and the bars -6, -7- and--8---lbeing 'arranged in vertical position and smooth, re-

duce the liability of lodgment of germs and other foreign matter thereonto a minimum 'while at the same time the rounding form f. vof the bar-9- although disposed in a horizontal position prevents excessiveaccumulation of such germs or dust thereon. The purpose of making thesebars round and also making the frame substantially plane and smooth isto enable them to be main- Y tained in a thoroughly sanitary conditionby cleansing and sterilizing them which is also facilitated by makingthe grate movable inthe form of a gate permittingaccess to all sidesofthe bars for cleaning and sterilizing.

In Figs. 2 and 5, I have shown the same frame -las provided with aremovable gate or grate composed of vertical end bars l0- andintermediate vertical bars -11'#, the bars Y10-4 being of greater lengththan the vertical height of the opening -3- and are adapted to enter theapertures --5 and '-9- respectively which are similar to Vments upon theopposite horizontal bar with Y which they are alined to permit theentire grate to be lifted vertically out of the lower 'those shown inFigs. l, 3 and 41- but are opening -5- and then rocked forwardly to thedotted position shown in Fig. 5 whereupon the entire grate may be drawndownwardly out of the apertures in the uppen part of the frameand-entirely disconnectedV from said frame. This permits access to allsides of the grate for cleaning and sterilization and also permits saidgrate to be laid aside when it is desired to obtain a greater area ofcirculation through theV opening- -3-. In this device shown in Figs. 2`and 5, the intermediate bars -11- are somewhat shorter than thevertical height of the 'opening -3-, and when in operative-position,their lower ends rest upon the inner edge of the lower horizontal bar ofthe frame -lwhile suflicient clearance isl left at their upper endswithin the frame to permit the entire grate to be removed in the mannerpreviously described. Otherwise this grate is substantially the same asthat shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the vertical bars being Arounding incross section and being connected intermediate their ends with aroundingcross bar -9-.

The flat marginal front of the frame ll- 'i is provided with apertures---1Lt-- A adapted to receive suitable-fastening means as screws by'which the entire frame' may'befsecured to the wall or to the adjacentend of the ventilating flue, not shown.

What I claim is: nl. A sanitary VventcomprisingV an `V open frame havingapertures Vin opposite sides thereof and agrate' composed of parallel"bars arranged side by side and spaced apart, means for holding said barsa iixed distance apart, the end bars ofv the grate beingoff greaterlength than the opening and 'having their opposite ends seated in saidapertures, the intermediate beingof less length `than that oftheopening.

2. A sanitary vent comprising an open frame having apertures in oppositesides thereof, a grate composed of parallel bars of rounding crosssection arranged side by side and spaced apart, means for holding saidbars a fixed distance apart, the end bars of the grate being of greaterlength than the opening and having their opposite ends seated in saidapertures and the intermediate bars being of less length than that ofthe opening.

3. Ina sanitary vent, a substantially rectangular traine having acentral opening, a laterally projecting marginal flange surrounding saidopening, said flange being provided with separate pairs of apertures atopposite sides of the opening, and a grate composed of parallel barsspaced apart and a connecting cross bar having apertures receiving theparallel bars, the end bars being of greater length than the opening andhaving their opposite ends inserted in their respective apertures in theframe, the i'ntermediate bars being of less length than the opening.

4. In a sanitary vent, a substantially rectangular frame having acentral opening, a laterally projecting marginal flange surrounding saidopenlng, said flange provided with separate pairs of apertures atopposite sides of the opening and a grate composed of parallel barsspaced apart and a connecting cross bar having apertures receiving theparallel bars, the end bars being of greater length than the opening andtheir opposite ends inserted in their respective apertures in the frame,the intermediate bars being oil less length than the opening, said framebeing provided with lugs projecting across the ends of the end bars ofthe grate.

5. A sanitary vent comprising an open frame having apertures inits'upper and lower sides, a grate composed of upright bars, and a crossbar secured to the upright bars and holding them a Xed distance apart,at least one of said upright bars being slightly longer than thedistance between the upper and lower sides of the frame and having itsopposite ends inserted in said apertures, all of said bars being ofrounding cross section throughout their lengths to reduce the resistanceto the passage of air through the gate.

6. A sanitary vent comprising an open frame, angular in cross sectionand having rounding corners at the angle, said rounding corners havingapertures therethrough partly in both sides of the angle, and a gratecomposed of bars at least one of which has its ends loosely inserted insaid apertures whereby the grate may be swung in the opening.

7. A sanitary vent comprising a continue ous open frame having alinedapertures in opposite sides, and a grate movable in said opening andcomposed of round bars spaced apart, at least one of which has its endsloosely inserted in said apertures.

8. A sanitary vent comprising an open frame angular in cross section andhaving rounding corners at the angle, and a grate movably mounted in theopening and having portions thereof loosely engaged with opposite sidesof the frame.

9. A sanitary vent comprising an open frame angular in cross section andhaving rounding corners at the angle, and a grate movably mounted in theopening and composed of round bars, at least one of which is looselyengaged with opposite sides of the frame.

In witness wherof I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of June1908.

WILLARD S. TUTTLE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD FELL LUnENs, WILLIAM S. WALLACE.

